The Legacy of Church-run Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland

In the wake of the Ryan and Murphy reports*, both released in 2009, often the memories of the children, women and workers involved have taken a sideline to the question of who is to blame for systemic abuse. But while the Irish public attempts to heal from this broken past and demand justice, more stories are on the verge of disappearance: those of the unknown women and babies who lived in Church-run mother and baby homes and of the American families who adopted these children from the 1940s until the early 70s. I spoke with Dr. Valerie O’Brien, lecturer and researcher in Applied Social Science at University College Dublin, about her joint project with Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, founder and CEO of Center For Family Connections in Boston and lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, to reach out to those involved and record a history obscured by Church and State. By sharing these stories, O’Brien and Maguire Pavao see an opportunity to positively affect modern adoption practices in Ireland as well as bring dignity to the mothers who were forgotten by their community.

Even after the 1952 Adoption Act, which regulated adoption in Ireland and made it legal, most adoptions were facilitated by nuns in mother and baby homes. In these homes, pregnant, unwed women were hidden away in shame to have their child under the watchful eye of the Catholic Church. Sometimes located on the same site as the Magdalene laundries**, the institutions were also workplaces for pregnant women and new mothers, who often raised their children until they were toddlers. Based on records of adoption passports from 1949 on, O’Brien and Maguire Pavao list 2103 adopted Irish children, though the exact number is still not known.

While the mothers gave consent to their children’s adoptions, O’Brien describes it as a decision made out of helplessness. “For the vast majority of women, they couldn’t leave the mother and baby home until their child was a certain age. For many of the women the children were 2 or 3…[and] the nuns didn’t always tell the American adoptive parents that their mother was looking after them. They wanted to give the impression that they were orphaned or abandoned children,” says O’Brien. Not only was this painful for the young mothers, the method posed problems for both adopted people and adoptive parents. “The adoptive parents weren’t given the full picture. They were often given very traumatized children who were suffering from separation from their mother’s love and care and attention.” Even after the Adoption Act, this practice continued due to a loophole that provided for “illegitimate” children to go overseas.

The difficult search for biological family by adopted children reveals the need for full access to mother and baby home records. “Prior to the 90s [when records of adoption were found], some people knew about the practice,” says O’Brien, describing the mother and baby homes as “known but not known” by the Irish community. “There was some disquiet reported from time to time in the media but attempts to more tightly regulate the practice were impeded. What was involved were nuns moving children from Ireland to America with the cooperation of Catholic charities here predominantly, and placing children in adoptive homes. And the children were then adopted here [in America]…Unless they were told by their American adoptive parents that they were adopted they might not even know.”

The adopted children, now adults, were often given new names upon arrival and may not be in possession of their original birth certificate; in fact, they may not even know they are Irish. While the Church stipulated that the adopted child be placed in a Catholic family, the family did not have to be Irish American. According to O’Brien, “The criteria that was laid down by the Church was that the children were placed in Catholic homes, where parents gave a commitment to raising the children Catholic, sending them to Catholic school and Catholic college.” Controversially, these adoptions all occurred without the help of American institutions—though the Child Welfare League of America offered assistance to the Catholic Church and Catholic charitable organizations throughout the 50s and 60s, their offers were turned down.

Recognizing these past concerns, the project aims to impact contemporary adoption practices. In addition to being a member of the Irish Adoption Board for over ten years, O’Brien has written frameworks for many aspects of domestic and international adoption in Ireland. Still, with Ireland just beginning to become a “receiving” or adopting country rather than a sending country, she believes that the country’s adoption practices can be improved, particularly by passing Hague legislation to regulate intercountry adoption and prevent child trafficking. Ireland is the last country in the western world to adopt this legislation.

The recent release of the Ryan Report and the allegations of abuse against children and women in Church and State-run institutions are also not far from O’Brien’s mind. In her early work to understand the historical angle of adoption in Ireland, she adds that she is “trying to examine through the lens of the Ryan Report what might have happened if the children had stayed. I think some of the children were probably very lucky, that they didn’t stay in institutions where we now know so many children were treated abysmally.” That O’Brien can see the positive side to these adoptions, despite their circumstances, is a testament to the project’s ultimate goals of justice and sensitivity. “When we uncover the past we must be very mindful of people’s sense of self and identity and integrity. We’ve no wish to pathologize individuals…because for many people that came here [to the U.S.], they’ve had very successful lives. So what we’re really interested in is hearing about those successful lives but also how they learned to integrate the stories from the past and how they learned to integrate their identity in relation to their Irishness, especially for those who weren’t raised in Irish American homes.”

For the mothers who raised their children in mother and baby homes without power or choice, O’Brien has found common ground with the calls to expose the horrors of the Magdalene laundries in balance with respect and privacy for women involved. “I think it’s the same issue of justice for women who have been through quite a horrific period where to be pregnant outside marriage in Ireland was such a taboo, and while the Church played its part the community did as well…I don’t think any of us can walk away.”

Like these other projects that attempt to heal the wounds of the past in Ireland, so much depends on access to state records. But in the absence of concrete numbers, the significance of what O’Brien calls “memory work”—focusing on remembering rather than uncovering the truth—becomes all the more clear. She and Maguire Pavao are conducting interviews with everyone “from policy makers to air hostesses to students that were in applied social sciences at UCD, my university,” says O’Brien. “There were many stories of students going to live or study in America very often had their passage paid and brought the child on their knee. Again we don’t have any firm data, and those are the stories that need to be collated.”

This memory work provides the chance for connections that concrete statistics often cannot. O’Brien learned that for herself when she described the project she was working on to her aunt one day. Her aunt replied that as a child she remembered babies, wrapped in shawls, coming through the house with nuns on their way to the airport. It turned out O’Brien had relatives who worked in mother and baby homes and they would often stop for a cup of tea on the way. O’Brien had already been working on the project for years before she made this accidental discovery. “It was just amazing. It was so powerful to think that some of the people that I might get an opportunity to meet in fact were held in arms in my family home.”

*The Ryan Report is the published report of the Irish government’s investigation of child abuse in reformatory institutions and industrial schools operated by the Catholic Church and funded by the Irish Department of Education from 1936 on. The Murphy Report investigates cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin.

**Magdalene laundries were Church-run institutions in Ireland where young girls and women engaged in hard labor and many allegedly suffered physical and sexual abuse. This abuse was also covered in the Ryan Report.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Dr. Valerie O’Brien at Valerie.Obrien@ucd.ie or Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao at kinnect@gmail.com.

53 Responses to “The Legacy of Church-run Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland”

Would like to connect, as I am researching the Irish American adoptions through a Nun very involved in adopting babies into American families, but just deceased two years ago. Sister Mary Aloysisus who was the Superier in St. Josephs Baby Home, Stamullin, Co. Meath.

Hi Gwen
My name is Joseph
I spent the first two years of my life in this mother and baby home 1968 to 1970
I was then fostered and eventually adopted by a family in Galway Ireland
I recently met my natural sister who is a lovly lady and my mother who does not know who i am as she has alzimmers.
I suppose my question is have you much information about this home and was it well run or is it caught up in some of the scanals like other homes
I dont think i can be any help to you as i know very little about the place

Joseph. I worked in St Josephs Stamullen 68 to ’70. I have to tell you at this time it was run very well.. The Head nun there when I first started was Sr. Aloysius and she was known to send some children to America. She was not well liked and eventually left or was relieved of her duties. We young trainee nursery nurses were very fond of all the children and were often upset but very pleased for them when they were adopted. If you need more information, let me know and I will answer what I can.

Martina here again we we’re told my sister Mary went to work as a trainee nursery nurse BT she was between 14and 15 years of age would that have been possible at such a young age . I have my doubhts about it that she may have been pregnant.

My Mother is 86.
Has recently told me she gave birth to a baby in Sean Ross Abbey in 1947, who was adopted to America.
We have Theresas birth cert now, but trying to get details is really problematic. All records from home have been sent to a hospital in Cork where a few women are looking through 100’s of boxes with handwritten notes on the children. Due to my Mother age, it is becoming more urgent.
Would you have details to help us?
Thankyou,
Eileen and Mum

Dear Eileen. I am a journalist looking for families still seraching for missing babies. If your mum wants to speak to someone about an article let me know. Emily Hall 07815105835 or emily.hall@mailonsunday.co.uk

I am helping a friend locate her birth parents and/ or any brother’s and sisters, although it is believed her birth father has passed. She is a truly lovely woman, who would like a chance to meet her birth family. If anyone can give me ways to help her find her family we would greatly appreciate it!

My Mary has been trying to work with St. Patricks since 2001. After reading all the records and letters, I feel that perhaps things are still being hidden. Sister Francis does know where/who birth mother is, but says she would not want contact while other letters leave Mary hope. Very confusing to say the least. If Mary could just get an address to write her mother, it would be a God send…. I thank you all for your help and share! My contact info is Kim Michelle on facebook. I am in the USA. email is KimOLeary3 at Gmail .com

Gwen and Eileen — sorry I missed both these posts. I can help both of you…e-mail me at mari_tee@yahoo.com or if you’re on Facebook, reach out to the groups Banished Babies and Adoption Rights Alliance.

my mother was born in sean ross in the 30’s. she was adopted out to her mother’s aunt and consequently knew her mother. Was this unusual? i don’t think the church liked children born out of wedlock being reared in their home villages as there was conflict with the church

My name is Christopher Carroll DOB 27/11/1947 according to my birth cert I was born in sean ross too.
and by some means or other ended up with my mothers family that’s all I know. I know nothing at all of my fathers side, I have recently being diagnosed with cancer and who knows, maybe there may be info there, that may help me with my recovery, plus my children and grandchildren keep asking me questions too

David,or anyone who can give me any info, would be very much appreciated

I have nothing to verify that my Father came from Ireland however in 1942 he legally had his name changed from Arthur Herbert Mitchell aka Robert O’Donnell to Robert Neiley. He was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 37. His Doctor wanted to test family members for a bone marrow match and my Grandmother went into a panic. My father told my Mother that he suspected that he was adopted. After he died in 1979 my Mom had a difficult time dealing with the church getting things like his birth and baptismal records. Everyone is gone now. My Dad, Grandmom & Grandfather but it still haunts me that he suspected he was adopted but never got answers. My Grandparents were deep rooted in the church and I believe the church helped them adopt my father. I also believe that the church helped them cover up his adoption. My Father was VERY Irish. This is all I have to go on. Any suggestions on where I can begin a search?

Does anyone know the date of the picture – shows children sitting at tables with a nun standing in the upper right corner? I was adopted from Sean Ross in 1959 and am curious because the girl in the lower right corner resembles me. Thanks

Is there a listing somewhere of sexes and or birth dates of children born in Sean Ross Abbey? Is there a site of the mothers seeking their children? I ask because something in this article mirrors my own thoughts and life. American “children”. May not even know they were adopted or Irish! I have numerous reasons to suspect I am adopted, and from Ireland. A very staunch and tight lipped catholic mother who has given conflicting statements all of my life is only one of them. I would appreciate knowing, as I have no other way to try and eliminate my suspicions other than a DNA test without her knowledge. I have two birth certificates dated 5 years apart. Both have the same year of birth, but the names are slightly different. My mother was separated from her husband during her pregnancy and birth, and she had a female roommate. The roommate left for vacation, and upon returning found my mother with me! No one knew she was pregnant. No one! I was told I was premature, but never by how much, just that I was tiny. I look like no one. My mothers family is Irish and German. They all have distinctive characteristics. I have none of them, but my older three brothers do. If there is a way for me to view a listing of dates and child genders, it would be extremely helpful to at least look and see if something matches up. Thank you for taking the time to read.

I believe I was adopted or stolen my so call parents do the same all memories not many they wont answer but recently I have worked alot out I was born in templemore ave in the British part shit neva looked at my birth certificate that close before and I believe is fake .
The other funny thing is mums irish and dads english and was a soldier I was born in 1969 oct funny enough and apparently bought to Australia in 1971 my only brother got shot 8 times killed in feb14th 2009 as he set me n my kids up and tried to kill us in 2001 he felt bad after and he called me and said he is gonna get them for wat they did to me. As no help from police hospitals u name no where or the so called parents. Atm I am sure and no I am being set up again its like my whole life is planned no matter wat I do its same sinario and I have another 2 younger kids same age as wat happened 12 years ago and no help again not even by parents. Someone pls help me and my kids

Hi my name is Claudia and I’m looking for a first cousin of mine
From what I know his name was Declan Mcfarlane born in Dublin around mid 1950’s and was left in a home in Dublin where the ryan report happened in the maybe early 1960’s we have found his older brother and would love to find Declan if anyone can help me thank you

I am helping a friend locate her birth parents. She was born Geraldine Moira Donoghue to Mary Donoghue (a nurse) on November 23, 1958, at St. Rita’s Dietetic Hospital. She was baptized at Donnybrook Church by Father Kevin. Her adoption was handled by St. Patrick’s Guild and she was adopted in the USA, came over December 18, 1959. She is a truely lovely woman, who would like a chance to meet her birth family. If anyone can give me ways to help her find her family we would greatly appreciate it!

I don’t know if this will help at all, but there is actually a story to be told of a mother longing to know her children hidden within the pages of the Bible itself. The Eternal Mother of the Children of God should have known about her long ago, but she was never directly mentioned.

Using theological fiction/fantasy, I was able to go back before the creation of the earth and estimate what may have happened to God before he took on his title. I gave him the childhood name of David, a traumatic story line, and a childhood friend of his who later became his now missing wife. I gave David a mother named Eden who died tragically and by mistake at the hand of her own husband, David’s father. This would make the Garden of Eden a memorial garden.

I don’t know what to do with this story line, as obviously the church will have nothing to do with it. At least a dozen journals remain in a box now from the years in which I wrote them. After seeing this movie, it seemed as if my story was on a similar path, but played out at the theological level.

I have no idea if it would mean anything to anyone but me, but I thought I’d mention it.

I am looking for any information that would confirm that were any situations where Irish girls were brought to America and the baby was born here. My mother was born in Oak Park Hospital, Chicago. Her date of birth is recorded to be July 9, 1940. All of my mother’s family is deceased, as well as my mother who only learned of her adoption in early 1979 and then passed away months later. She never had an opportunity to pursue the circumstances of her birth but legend is that her adoptive parents paid the way for an unwed pregnant Irish girl to come to America and have the baby here. Her adoption notice was published in the newspaper and she was identified there as ‘Mary Roe’. Great lengths were gone to to hide her original birth information and it was never intended for her to learn that she had been adopted. I’m at a dead end now, but do want to turn over new stones, if any. Any information/knowledge of this type of circumstance – being brought to America for baby to be born here – would be helpful and very much appreciated. Thank you.

i’m looking for my grandma! i know the last names mead she gave birth to twins april14th 1952 a boy and a girl michael and kathaleen. the were adopted to america at about age of 3 .i know they were in st patricks orphanage! they were also adopted together. there mother was very young born around 1940’s

I don’t know if this will be of any help to anyone searching in Ireland for a boy child who was born in 1950 in an unwed mothers home in Ireland. He was 3 when he arrived in the US and told me he remembers kicking his adoptive parents upon meeting them. He never was able to bond with them and had a very troubled life. He knew a priest who was able to get him the name of his biological mother, which was Mary Kelly. But he felt this could be wrong. His adoptive parents named him Kevin Mackey. When he learned this information he changed his name to Kevin Kelly. He was born in Ireland, the spring of 1950 (I believe) His adoptive parents were the “Mackey’s” of Amitville, New York. The last time I saw Kevin, was over 20 years ago in Albany, New York where he was living and working. He wanted so much to find his Irish roots but had no means to do so If anyone is searching and this rings a bell or could possibly be a link to someone you are looking for, it might be worth further investigation. Hopefully, maybe this could help someone I always wanted to help Kevin, that was pre-internet days and I had no way of doing so. His story always broke my heart.

My mother was born in westmeath ireland in 1951. She was shipped to America and adopted in NY. We have been trying so hard to get her adoption record but NY has it sealed and will not release it. We have her birth certificate with her mothers name, but we would like to know more about her family and wonder if she was one of the babies shipped away from a helpless mother. Anyone from ireland that was adopted in NY have any luck getting their adoption record released? If so please let me know how you went about doing this so we might have the same luck. Thanks

I have found out very recently from cousins in West Meath that my mother (Theresa Bernadette Fox ) had a baby girl that was adopted in the “very early 50s”
my mother isn’t aware I know this fact and to date I haven’t asked her , plus my dad is likely to be unaware she had a child before they married in march 1953. All very difficult to know how to approach this. I am sure a very small chance this name ties into the birth certificate you have but who knows ?

Hi
What a dilemma. I think a chart would be useful in chronological order where those searching could just scroll to a year and see info relating to that year (say the birth year of thechild in question. I am seeking my sister whom I have just discovered may have been adopted out in US or Australia . She was born in 49 and there is no record of her beyond birth. Sadly no one in the family is now alive to say more – it was only pn my mother’s death we discovered she had a baby in one of those awful institutions in ’49.
If anyone up there is good at organisating – what do you think about a ‘lost and found’ chart in year order?

Hi Jenni,
Have you got your sisters birth certificate? This will state the place where she was born. If not contact Adoption Rights Allience Facebook Page, it is a closed group, but you can apply for admission. A fantastic lady called Mari Tatlock Steed is great for helping people seeking their relatives. Adoption rights allience also have a website too. Good luck in your search.

Hi Kirsten,
If your sister was born in Westmeath it is most likely Castlepollard Mother & Baby home. It was also known as Manor House and St. Peter’s Hospital.
It was run by the Sacred Heart Nuns. My sister was born there in 1952 and adopted to Americasome months later. Also there is a Castlepollard Mother and Baby Home page on Facebook, it’s a closed group but you can apply to join.The moderator is Paul Redmond who was born in Castlepollard and is an expert on the place. Also he may be able to help you get your sisters records. At present the records for Castlepollard home are held by Tusla the child &a family agency Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Also if it’s any help St. Patrick’s Guild arranged her adoption to America. Their records have also been transferred to Tusla. But they could easily get them for you. Having your sisters birth certificate is a great help. Good luck .

I have very little to go on, having confirmed my adoption just weeks ago at the age of 57. My naturalization paper says that I was adopted in Casablanca in 1961. My Baptism certificate, and naturalization state that I am French, but the DNA test shows no French. I am 40% Irish, 27% other British Isles. My adoptive father made at least two trips to Madrid around the time I was born. Is there an Irish – Spain connection? I am thinking I could have been brought to Spain and then he took me into Morocco where he was stationed in the US airforce. Is there a database with pictures of birth mother’s and children?

Hello, my mother and I are looking for her birth mother and any information related to her adoption. My mother Mary was born in a hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Her baptismal certificate were we believed she was baptized says Church of Saint Andrew Westland Row Dublin 2, Ireland. Her mothers name on her birth certificate is Rose McMahon, no father listed. She was born July 8, 1957. Her name at the time of birth was Margaret Mary McMahon. She was in an catholic orphanage and was adopted by an American family at 15 months old and brought to America with all rights to her adoption to be sealed. We have tried so many directions to find any information that may help. My mother has made many phone calls and letter here in NYC and to Ireland with all dead ends. We were also told she would never find out any information because the “place” was burned down. The movie Philomena is what we believed also happened to my mother. We are going to Ireland this August and would love to visit possible they place she may have been. My mother will be 60yrs. old and still unsettled as I am too. Any direction to try and seek information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Could you possibly trywww.adoptionrightsalience.com
They will be able to help you tremendously particularily Ms. Mari Tatlow Steed. This website specialises in helping Banished Babies adopted to America to trace their records.
Good luck
Anita.

I’m searching for my father’s birth family. He was born at Bethany Home, @ June 4, 1949 and adopted to the U.S. by and Air Force couple @ 1951. His birth name was Roland or Ronald with surname of Montgomery. Last name of father given was Carson. Mother’s name given as Violet Montgomery from County Cavan.
Any Information would be greatly appreciated.

My adoption took place aug of 1961 through
Catholic charities betwwen chicago Il and Ireland
My DOB IS 06-29-1960 Birth Name Ann Mary Comey
mr patrick lawerance keenan. DOB 11-161916AND ROSEMARY LYN Keenan. 07-21-1925 from chicago Il
Were the people whom adopted in I think Aug 1961 .I believe i am one of those babies ypu speak about in your article i was told by my adoptive parents my maternal parents were deceased catholic charities in chicago told me they were of legal age. Please get back to me asap my Name was changed to Erin Rosemarie keenan my number is 408 903. 8789

Trying find about birth mum Patrica landers nee Treanor who passed away in Canada in 2017. age 70 years old had two son Chris Don and Trevor Don who in there 40s and they Canada and all I know and Patrica was born in Co Monaghan Ireland in1947

I am looking for Angela Lyons. What I know is that she was probably a teenager at early 20’s in 1948. She claimed The Commons , Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland as her home. She put a daughter up for adoption in 1948. The adoption records were signed at Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea,County Tipperary. Please contact me if you can be of any assistance.